Unscrupulous ebay buyers


Beware if you sell on ebay. I’m probably stating something most already know, but anyhow, I listed a brand new cartridge there which was bought and shipped on time. Buyer receives It, opens it and installs it. He proceeds to play his records. He then messages me that the cartridge has muddy bass and poor channel separation. I advise him to check all alignment parameters, but he insists cartridge is defective, I highly doubt it. I do not accept returns as stated in the listing. He proceeds to pack it up, taking a photo, and states "on the way!"...I again told him that I do not accept returns for a cartridge that is now used...also said that just because you bought something you have never listened to and you are displeased with its sound or performance, does not give him the right to demand I accept a return. I reported him to ebay, as in my opinion he is pulling a fast one. He could very likely have damaged it while installing it. It was brand new pristine condition upon shipping it. I am standing my ground and will not accept a return. If it shows up at my door, too bad. At this point, I can care less if I receive negative feedback, it would be my first. Worse buyer I’ve encountered in 20 years of selling. Man I hate ebay. Honestly, to me it sounds like buyer remorse, not a defective cartridge, plus I am not the manufacturer....he can pound sand.

128x128audioguy85

If you have a local craigslist in your city, and if it has a reasonable amount of audiophile equipment activity, it works best. You and the other party meet, you make the exchange, and you are done.

The downside is that you may wait a long time. Here in the SF Bay Area, for example, I kept an ad for the wonderful Quicksilver integrated amp going for four months until a buyer appeared.

 

First of all, I want to say - I’m very sorry this happened to you - and I'm not trolling! Someone stole my cellphone yesterday, so yeah there are $hitty people out there in all walks of life. Nonetheless, I wanted to say, I’ve sold 200+ things on ebay - most recently a $2500 turntable, and I’ve probably bought over a thousand things, dating back to 1999. I’ve literally never had any major issue buying or selling. An occasional minor thing, that we were able to reach a middle ground on.

I wouldn’t discourage anyone and everyone away from the platform... just my $0.02. I do agree, Craigslist is sometimes easier depending on what you're selling, but beware for scammers and ridiculous negotiators, and people trying to use fake $. 

nonetheless I hope you get everything settled!

This applies to sellers as well.

EBAY is not user friendly. It treats users as "stores." Taxes, fees, etc. It's endless. I avoid it. The experience is very bad. It's not the haven it once was.

eBay has deteriorated greatly since it was founded. There is zero seller protection. I don’t care what they say. They do not back it up. I don’t and won’t sell on eBay for that reason and others. I also rarely buy on eBay and certainly never buy audio gear on eBay. I only sell and buy on USAM and Audiogon. Period.